We do not need data or complex reports to realize that rain has withheld its blessings from our land, and that the sky has not smiled upon us as it once did. According to Minister of Water and Irrigation Eng. Raed Abu Al-Saud, the dams are empty, and our water reserves are at their lowest levels in years, while pressure continues to mount on groundwater and the limited supplies of drinking and irrigation water.
اضافة اعلان
I am not a cleric, nor do I write from a pulpit of preaching, but the harsh drought we are living through makes us — citizens and officials alike — stand before God with humbled hearts, pleading for His mercy and rain.
Yet, one question imposes itself: Will the Ministry of Awqaf wait until the end of the rainy season to call for Salat al-Istisqa (the prayer for rain)? Or has the time come for us all to raise our hands toward the sky, beseeching God to have mercy on this thirsty land?
Prayer is the duty of the heart — but it does not absolve us from the duty of action and reason. As we pray for rain, we must also ask ourselves: what have we done to protect every drop of water that falls from the sky?
Today, we need a genuine governmental will that turns words into deeds. It is not enough to simply wait for rain — what is required is to accelerate the implementation of the National Water Carrier Project with unprecedented speed, as it represents Jordan’s new lifeline. Bureaucratic hurdles that have delayed its completion for years must be decisively overcome.
At the same time, the government must pursue new initiatives to improve soil fertility, combat salinity and desertification, and rethink irrigation and agricultural practices to ensure the optimal use of water resources.
We must also support farmers — not with slogans, but with real technical and financial assistance programs that protect them from drought losses and preserve Jordanian agriculture as the first line of defense for national food security. The coming battle for Jordan will not be fought with weapons, but with water and food.
If we do not act swiftly, with all the knowledge, expertise, and management at our disposal, we will find ourselves facing a reality far harsher than we can imagine. Salat al-Istisqa is indeed a plea to God — but it is also a call to action, reform, and planning. Just as rain is in God’s hands, sound management is in ours; for God commands us to take the means before expecting the results.
In the end, the challenges Jordan faces today in water and food security demand a collective and responsible stand — from both the government and the people — to restore the land’s vitality and the citizen’s sense of security and dignity.
Therefore, I extend a sincere call to the Ministry of Awqaf to hold Salat al-Istisqa as soon as possible, and to the Ministry of Water and all relevant institutions to exert their utmost efforts in developing and implementing practical and sustainable solutions that can lift the nation out of its current crisis.
I say this with conviction: Prime Minister Dr. Jaafar Hassan’s government stands before a truly historic opportunity. If it succeeds in achieving tangible progress in the areas of water and food security, history will remember it with pride — and a new era of self-reliance and national renaissance, long awaited by Jordanians, will bear its name.
